Safer Commutes
Photo: Thinkstock
As summer approaches, many teens are looking forward to taking driver's ed and claiming their license in time for school in the fall. (And, to be sure, many parents are happy to get a break from chauffeur duty.) Driving themselves to and from school may be more convenient than relying on the bus or parents, but according to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study, it comes with risks.
Researchers collected data on crashes from September 2001 to August 2004 in Fairfax County, Virginia, a Washington, D.C., suburb that has the largest public school system in the state. The data showed a spike in crashes during morning and afternoon school commute times. In fact, about 30 percent of crashes involving 16- and 17-year-olds were happening during school commute times.
The teen drivers were less likely to have been speeding or drinking before commuting crashes, compared with those late at night, suggesting that it wasn't their behavior that was causing the crashes. In fact, the research suggested that fatigue and distraction might play a role, as would simply an increase of novice drivers on the road at the same time. The Fairfax County study didn't find an increase of accidents during lunchtime, likely because the school district has a closed policy—kids aren't allowed off school grounds at lunchtime.
Researchers collected data on crashes from September 2001 to August 2004 in Fairfax County, Virginia, a Washington, D.C., suburb that has the largest public school system in the state. The data showed a spike in crashes during morning and afternoon school commute times. In fact, about 30 percent of crashes involving 16- and 17-year-olds were happening during school commute times.
The teen drivers were less likely to have been speeding or drinking before commuting crashes, compared with those late at night, suggesting that it wasn't their behavior that was causing the crashes. In fact, the research suggested that fatigue and distraction might play a role, as would simply an increase of novice drivers on the road at the same time. The Fairfax County study didn't find an increase of accidents during lunchtime, likely because the school district has a closed policy—kids aren't allowed off school grounds at lunchtime.
NEXT STORY
